Happy New Year
by Dances-In-Ashes
Summary: New Year's is a time for beginnings... even for formerly evil queens.


**HAPPY NEW YEAR'S!**

**Fandom**: Once Upon A Time

**Pairings**: Emma/Regina

**Rating**: M

**Warnings**: Romantic feelings between two women; don't like, don't read.

**Disclaimer**: I do not own Once Upon A Time or it's characters. They belong to others. I make no profit from this.

**Summary**: New Year's is a time for beginnings... even for formerly evil queens. _**  
**_  
**Author's Note: **Just a little something to ring in the New Year with! :) Written fairly quickly with very little editting and no beta; all mistakes are mine. Apologies in advance for the suckiness...

-

There was quite the party raging at Granny's, with most of the town crammed into the diner. Ruby had set up a stereo and strategically placed speakers throughout the place, playing an exciting mix of the past year's biggest hits across as many genres as Ruby had money to download. The buffet set up across the five pushed-together tables was a pot-luck, with everyone having brought something to contribute.

The thumping bass of Bassnectar's remix of 'Lights' droned out most of the chatter, but as Regina stood in the ice and snow outside looking in, she could still hear the laugher and revelry, ignorant of her presence. The light falling across the sidewalk was an oily and warm yellow, pooling like butter at her feet.

Condensation had fogged up the front windows, making the coloured blobs moving around inside indecipherable; just as well, since Regina didn't look very dignified or regal clutching her arms around herself, her thick winter coat pulled tight. Her breath hung in the air before her, a testament to the chill of a Maine winter.

It was New Year's Eve in Storybrooke, and now with only minutes to the strike of midnight, Regina found herself alone. Again. Ever since Emma and Snow had returned, Henry had spent most of his time with... his family. So it was no surprise that he hadn't come to her tonight. This would be the first New Year's Eve she spent alone, no countdown on the television, no son bouncing excitedly on the couch, no vegetable tray to snack on.

Instead, unable to sit in her mansion all alone, she found herself walking to Granny's... only to stop short on the sidewalk, just as unable to bring herself to go inside. It wasn't like she'd been invited.

So deep in her thoughts, staring in at the party, she didn't hear the boots behind her.

"It's probably warmer inside."

Regina jumped, turning to see Emma in her signature jeans and red leather jacket, the most ridiculous beanie on her head. Blonde curls tumbling across her shoulders, the diner's light making them glow gold. She must have walked, because her cheeks and nose were slightly pink.

"I was just on my way home," she tossed her flawless hair back out of her face and made as if to walk back home. She only got a few steps in before a hand on her arm stopped her.

"You've been staring in for as long as I was walking, Regina," the former mayor's heart skipped painfully at the gentle use of her name, "it's okay to go inside."

Clenching her jaw, forcing the look of contempt as she turned to glare at Emma, Regina huffed. "I think not, Miss Swan. The last thing anyone wants is for me to crash their party. Now, if you'll excuse me, I must be getting home."

"You shouldn't be alone on New Year's Eve... it's bad luck for the new year."

Regina almost guffawed. Almost. Catching herself, her glare turned to razor-edged hatred. "Bad luck? And what do I have left to lose, exactly? First you come to Storybrooke, take my son from me, upset the town, break my _curse_... I had to watch Daniel die a _second time_ and this time by my own hand! You took _everything_!" The tears, her eyes having betrayed her, race down her cheeks, cold as ice themselves.

She's shaking from a mixture of the cold and the emotions swirling inside her, her hands balled into fists at her sides.

It's the knowing, sad look in Emma's eyes that finally make her turn away again, ashamed for her outburt, for her tears, for her own _weakness_.

"I'm sorry, Regina. I hadn't exactly _meant_ for this to happen. But here we are." The sheriff -former sheriff?- shrugged and looked at Granny's as the song changed to Halestorm, the lead vocalist belting out how 'love bites,' but apparently so did she. Emma quirked her lips at Lzzy's words -the song was so Ruby... and apt since the woman could now turn in to a wolf. "It's going to be a new year, so why not start over? You say you've lost everything; maybe this is your clean slate." She scuffed a boot on the pavement -childishly, Regina might add. "And you didn't lose Henry. He misses you. But he's a kid, and he's confused. His heart loves you, but his head is still full of this 'good versus evil' crap."

Regina turned to look at her almost hopefully.

"Look, I know we've had problems... but I... I want us to start fresh."

The noise in the diner had amplified, and then a 'ten...nine!' countdown became quite clear in it's intensity as Emma and Regina stook outside on the sidewalk.

The former mayor studied her, digesting her words as the countdown intensified. On 'four,' Emma had practically put herself in Regina's space. Protesting the move, she opened her mouth to tell Emma exactly what she thought of this proposition, only to have warm lips crush against her own.

She stiffened automatically, and started to push the other woman away until she heard 'two... one... HAPPY NEW YEAR!' swirl around her, and she realized Emma might -for once- be making sense. Maybe this was her chance to start over.

Relaxing against the other woman, she felt warm arms slip around her protectively as she returned the kiss. It was quick, mostly chaste, and when she opened her eyes again Emma was smiling warmly at her.

"Happy New Year's, Regina."


End file.
